How to travel and eat like a local in Greece

Undoubtedly, we are living in an era where travelers are increasingly looking for more and more authentic experiences during their trips. Therefore, local gastronomy seems to be a catalyst for the tourism development of each destination, by boosting the local economy and connecting the agri-food sector with the tourism industry as a whole.

Apart from the quite popular taste-testing of traditional products, a large number of travelers is also particularly interested in activities that offer a higher degree of authentic, real-world experiences, such as cooking lessons, food tours, or even participation in the farming and agricultural activities of the locals – which may include picking olives or harvest activities, etc. – and many more. It is worth noting that all the above are just some of the choices a traveler may have.

A lot of travelers want to immerse themselves into the authentic aspects of Greece and find out more about the locals’ way of life, while they also seek ways to support them. In addition, they often want to participate in the daily routine of the locals, discover how they produce their products or how they harvest.

Moreover, even before the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, the market of all-inclusive tourism had already started to change – slowly but steadily – seeking to enrich the tourist experience. It is obvious that a new kind of travelers (high-end consumers) has made its appearance, looking for high-quality food and drinks, as well as wanting to closely interact with the local communities.

To find out more about the emerging trends in the field of local gastronomy and related alternative experiences, the CapsuleT team turned to All Inclusive Dining and Escapades, 2 startups that have already completed our Acceleration Program and provide services/experiences in this particular sector.

Escapades offers premium, authentic travel experiences in Greece. By providing an alternative travel package to travelers who want to discover the authentic aspects of Greece – especially in out-of-season periods when the options are limited – travelers have the unique chance to experience the everyday life of traditional family businesses. Escapades’ services focus on the uniqueness of each destination, the harvest season, and the locals.

All Inclusive Dining provides authentic, prepaid high-quality dining solutions, using electronic payments. Its team of experts provides travelers with authentic tasting experiences in each destination, at hand-picked local businesses, thus creating the most value-for-money offer.

How did the two companies “respond” to the challenges brought about by the pandemic? And what can they predict for the near future? Read below what their co-founders shared with us.

⇒ How did you adapt to the “new normal” imposed by the coronavirus outbreak?

Escapades: Escapades was created after recognizing the need to share our own experiences with other people and interact with locals in each destination. Therefore, the human-centric approach is the main pillar for our services. Due to the current circumstances, we decided to put in first place the health and safety of our travelers and partners – such as the small producers and family businesses we have collaborated with – thus postponing all experiences we provide, until travel is safe again. Nonetheless, we thought that it would be nice to bring some of the Escapades’ experience to people who unfortunately cannot travel right now, so we recently proceeded with offering our partners’ products in elegant packages and sending them abroad, therefore keeping Greece at the top of their minds.

All Inclusive Dining: Our team is keeping an eye on all recent data regarding the Covid-19 outbreak. We keep developing and optimizing our services while, at the same time, our first priority is the safety of our visitors/users and the provision of new, appropriate tools to our partners. Moreover, we are currently providing our partners with on-demand solutions/services, so that they can offer a safe and high-quality experience to their customers, within their facilities – whether they are hotels, restaurants, tour operators, etc.

⇒ In the light of the new circumstances, do you think that alternative gastronomic/culinary experiences which focus on local communities will gain more ground, from now on?

Escapades: We believe that, in the near future, the more exclusive and premium travel experiences will gain ground, since in this way travelers are able to avoid crowds and be closer to authentic activities/experiences. However, given the economic crisis which will be caused by the pandemic, we expect that this trend will not be revealed immediately, due to the fact that many travelers will probably look for “mainstream”/popular vacation packages for their first trip, during the period right after the Covid-19 crisis.

All Inclusive Dining: As a result of the constantly changing new situation, we do not have yet enough data to make precise predictions about how travelers’ preferences will change in the next months or so. However, it is crystal clear that their preferences will be affected by the destination, the authenticity of each experience, the gastronomic culture, the health protocols imposed in each region, and the potential for free cancellations. In view of the above, and since we do not know yet the measures/restrictions that will be imposed for every phase of the next tourist season, at allindining.com we are ready to constantly adapt our plan and provide modern, on-demand technological solutions for each of our partners.

A few words about the 2 startups

Quality, flexibility, or choice? Pick all three! All Inclusive Dining combines the freedom of dining at top restaurants with the ease of a pre-budgeted meal. Explore Crete and other destinations in Greece and enjoy delicious menus.

Escapades in Greece is all about authentic travel experiences with premium character. Its team opens the doors of traditional family businesses to travelers who look for ways to explore the local culture and customs.